Check the figures yourself then check how many are really active. Yes
you can but NRA and AARP rags on the stand. AAA no. I quoted no data,
I made an observation. Get you head out the sand and look around. See
all of your old buddies just hanging around the club meeting doing
nothing? is field day as well attended as it was in the 60's? Are new
folks welcomed? Is help provided?
If so then consider yourself lucky.



"Bill Sohl" wrote in message hlink.net...
"JEP" wrote in message
om...
Just my point. I don't want to belong to ARRL just as I don't care to
belong to AARP, NRA, AAA, Skinheads, etc.

Can you "just buy" the magazines of AARP, NRA, AAA, etc.
without joining? I am always amazed at people that want the "benefits"
of an organization's efforts, in this case the publication, but don't want
to support the organization by joining. I see the same thing at times
in the antique car hobby. People that bitch about the club rules
at a car show, or otherwise want technical help from club officials
but won't part with the few bucks it takes to join.

I just want to read their
magazine when it has something that interests me. I wouldn't buy it
every month as most of the time it has useless drivel about some
clowntest or whether someone died or some such crap. ARRL and QST have
a short time left as the active Ham population lessens.

Is it lessening? News to me.

If they took a
real survey as to how many real active ham there are they would find
the number far less than they think. I'm not talking about members,
I'm talking about HAMS that really use a radio to transmit a signal.
Doesnt matter what band. How many transmit a signal at least once a
week? Most don't.

Please provide your survey data.

Look at your local HAM clubs, talk to the members(if you can wake them
up). Most show up and act disgusted with the club, Ham radio, life in
general. New folks are never there. Ya I know about your Skywarn in
Flint, MI. Great service! Could be run on CB, NEXTEL, GMRS.

Could be but isn't...there in lies the difference.

Cheers,
Bill K2UNK

JEP wrote:

Check the figures yourself then check how many are really active. Yes
you can but NRA and AARP rags on the stand. AAA no. I quoted no data,
I made an observation. Get you head out the sand and look around.


See all of your old buddies just hanging around the club meeting doing
nothing?

Yep, that's the same thing they were doing twenty or thirty years ago.
They show up though.

is field day as well attended as it was in the 60's?

Yep.

Are new folks welcomed?

Yep.

Is help provided?

Yep.

If so then consider yourself lucky.

I don't know about lucky. Fortunate, maybe, that my experience over
forty years in amateur radio hasn't been the unpleasant one you've
obviously been forced to endure.


Dave K8MN

Dave Heil wrote:


I don't know about lucky. Fortunate, maybe, that my experience over
forty years in amateur radio hasn't been the unpleasant one you've
obviously been forced to endure.

Do you think this guy would by any chance be Vipul, Dave? Has that same
sort of pro-ham attitude, eh?

- Mike KB3EIA -

Good points....now allow me to add some from the other side.

No, lets make it just one.

Know many new guys that DONT KNOW IT ALL?

Dan/W4NTI

"JEP" wrote in message
om...
Check the figures yourself then check how many are really active. Yes
you can but NRA and AARP rags on the stand. AAA no. I quoted no data,
I made an observation. Get you head out the sand and look around. See
all of your old buddies just hanging around the club meeting doing
nothing? is field day as well attended as it was in the 60's? Are new
folks welcomed? Is help provided?
If so then consider yourself lucky.



"Bill Sohl" wrote in message
hlink.net...
"JEP" wrote in message
om...
Just my point. I don't want to belong to ARRL just as I don't care to
belong to AARP, NRA, AAA, Skinheads, etc.

Can you "just buy" the magazines of AARP, NRA, AAA, etc.
without joining? I am always amazed at people that want the "benefits"
of an organization's efforts, in this case the publication, but don't
want
to support the organization by joining. I see the same thing at times
in the antique car hobby. People that bitch about the club rules
at a car show, or otherwise want technical help from club officials
but won't part with the few bucks it takes to join.

I just want to read their
magazine when it has something that interests me. I wouldn't buy it
every month as most of the time it has useless drivel about some
clowntest or whether someone died or some such crap. ARRL and QST have
a short time left as the active Ham population lessens.

Is it lessening? News to me.

If they took a
real survey as to how many real active ham there are they would find
the number far less than they think. I'm not talking about members,
I'm talking about HAMS that really use a radio to transmit a signal.
Doesnt matter what band. How many transmit a signal at least once a
week? Most don't.

Please provide your survey data.

Look at your local HAM clubs, talk to the members(if you can wake them
up). Most show up and act disgusted with the club, Ham radio, life in
general. New folks are never there. Ya I know about your Skywarn in
Flint, MI. Great service! Could be run on CB, NEXTEL, GMRS.

Could be but isn't...there in lies the difference.

Cheers,
Bill K2UNK

JEP wrote:

Check the figures yourself then check how many are really active. Yes
you can but NRA and AARP rags on the stand. AAA no. I quoted no data,
I made an observation. Get you head out the sand and look around. See
all of your old buddies just hanging around the club meeting doing
nothing?

Nope.

is field day as well attended as it was in the 60's?

Better. I just posted some pix on our website, from FD in 1968. My
guess is we have about three times the number as we did then.

Are new folks welcomed?

Yup. During the day, I do no operating at all, just control op the GOTA
station and talk to new people when any show up. And we have new people
show up.

Is help provided?

Of course
If so then consider yourself lucky.

Yeah, lucky enough. If you want, you can bitch about the ARS. Or you
could do something about it.

Or are you one of those hams you bitch about in a previous message?

- Mike KB3EIA -

"Mike Coslo" wrote in message
...
JEP wrote:

Check the figures yourself then check how many are really active. Yes
you can but NRA and AARP rags on the stand. AAA no. I quoted no data,
I made an observation. Get you head out the sand and look around. See
all of your old buddies just hanging around the club meeting doing
nothing?

Nope.


Our club members are also quite active. They actively participate in the
business meetings and presentations.

is field day as well attended as it was in the 60's?

Better. I just posted some pix on our website, from FD in 1968. My
guess is we have about three times the number as we did then.

Ours is infinitely better attended than it was in the 1960s. Our club did
not even exist back then.


Are new folks welcomed?

Yup. During the day, I do no operating at all, just control op the GOTA
station and talk to new people when any show up. And we have new people
show up.

Is help provided?

Of course

Absolutely. Break time usually finds the newcomers making a beeline to the
oldtimers and lively discussions about items they need help with. Several
of us are on an "Elmer's phone list", all of us regular talk to new people
over the air and give help, and several of us regularly teach classes with
many others putting in a little help at one or more sessions of a class.

If so then consider yourself lucky.

Yeah, lucky enough. If you want, you can bitch about the ARS. Or you
could do something about it.

Or are you one of those hams you bitch about in a previous message?

- Mike KB3EIA -


Yup, change starts with each individual. Don't complain, do something. Be
an example of what you think a ham ought to be.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

"Dee D. Flint" wrote:
Be an example of what you think a ham ought to be.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

Should a ham be like N8WWM!?

http://tinyurl.com/q3xp

Steveo wrote:
"Dee D. Flint" wrote:
Be an example of what you think a ham ought to be.

Dee D. Flint, N8UZE

Should a ham be like N8WWM!?

http://tinyurl.com/q3xp

No comment, Dee D? I'm in Ohio too.

(replying from rec.radio.cb, where n8wwm hangs out)

"JEP" wrote in message
om...
Check the figures yourself then check how many are really active.

And just "how" do you propose anyone can "check how many
are really active?"

Yes
you can but NRA and AARP rags on the stand. AAA no. I quoted no data,
I made an observation.

Your observation
was absent any clarification that it was only YOUR observation,
unsubstantiated by any true facts.

Get you head out the sand and look around. See
all of your old buddies just hanging around the club meeting doing
nothing? is field day as well attended as it was in the 60's? Are new
folks welcomed? Is help provided?
If so then consider yourself lucky.

One aspect of almost all hobbies" is the cost to play
which often results in an older cross-section of participants.
The same is true for antique cars, model railroading, etc.
Add to that the available "free time" which most older
folks, especially retirees, have.

"Bill Sohl" wrote in message
hlink.net...
"JEP" wrote in message
om...
Just my point. I don't want to belong to ARRL just as I don't care to
belong to AARP, NRA, AAA, Skinheads, etc.

Can you "just buy" the magazines of AARP, NRA, AAA, etc.
without joining? I am always amazed at people that want the "benefits"
of an organization's efforts, in this case the publication, but don't
want
to support the organization by joining. I see the same thing at times
in the antique car hobby. People that bitch about the club rules
at a car show, or otherwise want technical help from club officials
but won't part with the few bucks it takes to join.

I just want to read their
magazine when it has something that interests me. I wouldn't buy it
every month as most of the time it has useless drivel about some
clowntest or whether someone died or some such crap. ARRL and QST have
a short time left as the active Ham population lessens.

Is it lessening? News to me.

If they took a
real survey as to how many real active ham there are they would find
the number far less than they think. I'm not talking about members,
I'm talking about HAMS that really use a radio to transmit a signal.
Doesnt matter what band. How many transmit a signal at least once a
week? Most don't.

Please provide your survey data.

Look at your local HAM clubs, talk to the members(if you can wake them
up). Most show up and act disgusted with the club, Ham radio, life in
general. New folks are never there. Ya I know about your Skywarn in
Flint, MI. Great service! Could be run on CB, NEXTEL, GMRS.

Could be but isn't...there in lies the difference.

Cheers,
Bill K2UNK

Your observation
was absent any clarification that it was only YOUR observation,
unsubstantiated by any true facts.

Get you head out the sand and look around. See
all of your old buddies just hanging around the club meeting doing
nothing? is field day as well attended as it was in the 60's? Are new
folks welcomed? Is help provided?
If so then consider yourself lucky.

One aspect of almost all hobbies" is the cost to play
which often results in an older cross-section of participants.
The same is true for antique cars, model railroading, etc.
Add to that the available "free time" which most older
folks, especially retirees, have.


My observation is as substantiated as yours. You can't prove anything.
Regarding cost to play, Ham radio only costs what you want it to cost.
I have put together a station for under $100 US. Not new and certainly
not the station I really wanted but it did work and I did QSO many
other stations. Cost is not a factor. Free time is what you want of
it. At 20 I had time if I wanted to take it and at 50 I can still find
time for the important things or what is important at this time.
Regarding costs, ther lays part of the problem. In the 60's I always
wanted that Drake '4' line. Couldn't afford it. Settled on a used
equipment and homebrewed many accy's. Todays out of the box operator
couldn't solder a connection if their life depended on it. Can't
trouble shoot a broken receiver or transmitter. Can't draw a circiut
for a simple crystal controlled transmitter, can't figure the length
of a half wave dipole, can't scrounge parts, etc.....